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Relationships between Americans and Canadians require some amount of work to get around all of the cultural and other differences between the two countries. Besides differing views on health care, accents (ask a Canadian how to say 'futile'), and months in which to celebrate Thanksgiving, Americans have to know a thing or two about hockey if they are to successfully date and mate with a Canadian.

It should be no surprise, then, that the sugary Hilary Duff has a few things to learn if she's going to continue dating her hockey-playing beau, New York Islanders' center Mike Comrie.

From People Magazine, her sister, Haylie, spills the beans:

"I actually caught her with a copy of the Hockey for Dummies book," Duff, 22, said at the opening of the Foley+Corinna store in West Hollywood. Big sis says she "adores" Comrie – and says it's actually distance that makes things work between him and 20-year-old Hilary. "He lives in New York and she lives here, and they really put in a big effort to see each other."

Awww, isn't that cute. Perhaps we ought to pick up a copy of "Dating Overpaid Self-Absorbed Celebrities for Dummies" for Mike Comrie, so that he's on an even level in this relationship?

Previously on FanHouse:
Mike Comrie Gets a Public Duffing.
Mike Comrie Just Made Life Miserable ...
Hockey Player Mike Comrie Snags Hillary Duff

Sorry, No Photos

(Meanwhile, inside the New York Islanders locker room...)

"Hey, whaddya get your girl for her birthday?"

"Ah, you know, the usual: Flowers from the local Shop 'n Save, a necklace from Target, dinner at that Italian place she likes so much, Sbarro. What about you, Comrie?"

"Oh, you know, nothing too fancy. Just a tricked-out new Mercedes-Benz G-class SUV with AMG-built 493-horsepower V-8 engine, solid axles, 18-inch AMG slotted monoblock titanium-finish wheels and 79.5 cubic feet of cargo space. Just something to get her from here to there."

Thanks, Mike Comrie. Thanks a lot. From People.com:

Hilary Duff's expectations were low when her hockey player boyfriend, Mike Comrie, called recently to say he'd picked out an early 20th birthday present for her and that "I hope you like them."

"Okay, it's shoes or something," Duff recalled thinking as she went to her sister's house, where Comrie had said he left the present in the garage. "I opened the garage, and I was just like shocked, just standing there." Before her, with a big red bow on top, was a Mercedes-Benz G-class SUV (retail price: more than $100,000).

Later in the article, the soon-to-be-20-year-old pop princess Duff is asked about the potential for an engagement to Comrie, whom she started dating earlier this year. Duff scoffed at the notion, and why not: At the current escalation rate of her boyfriend's gifts, she should have her own Cessna by Christmas 2008.

Gallons of delicious Duff are being poured at TMZ.com.